


One More Round

by KTheKryptid



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Gen, I just wanted Qrow to be Ruby's dad, I'm really sorry, and also make it sad, but not actually, its the angst, listen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:07:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28457307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KTheKryptid/pseuds/KTheKryptid
Summary: “You say her name a lot.”Well, that wasn’t very helpful. “I don’t…”“Summer.” Ruby turned to face him now. “You say her name. A lot.”Qrow’s eyes widened in shock. “What?” The question sounded more like a gasp than words, as if he was struggling to breathe. He could feel his chest constrict, and he swore for a second he did stop breathing.Listen, Qrow is Ruby's dad and it's angsty. That's that on that.
Relationships: Dad!Qrow, Qrow is Ruby's dad - Relationship
Comments: 11
Kudos: 20





	One More Round

Qrow watched the snow fall from the window, trying to huddle further under his blanket for warmth. In the distance, he could see smoke rising from the city. If he squinted, he could make out the small shapes of the Grimm herds making their way through the streets. He could practically hear the screams in his ears.

He was safe up in Atlas, however. In the Schnee manor of all places. He closed his eyes, letting out a heavy breath. He wouldn’t have to worry about Ironwood or the Ace Ops, at least for a little bit. They would be too busy trying to get the Grimm situation under control. He would be too, but for now, he was resting. He had only been out of that prison for a few days, and rest was important. But rest was elusive, especially with whatever was happening down in Mantle. Everything was happening so fast all at once. It was too much for him to simply put it all out of his mind and sleep. 

A shiver ran down his spine, and he turned towards the fireplace, ready to throw in another log in the dying fire, when it was done for him.

“What’re you doing up, kiddo?” Qrow stood from his spot by the window and moved to sit on the couch next to Ruby. “It’s late.”

She simply shrugged. “I couldn’t sleep.” Ruby had insisted she stay with her uncle since he got back, saying she just wanted to be close to family again. When Qrow had declined to stay in one of those Schnee rooms with the ridiculous amounts of blankets and pillows he was sure to suffocate under, Ruby did too, and the two of them shared the living room. He took the floor by the window, and she slept on the couch.

Qrow picked up her blanket, wrapping it around her. He couldn’t help but notice the deep bags under her eyes as she stared into the fire. “Something on your mind?”

Ruby didn’t answer at first, letting the crackling of the fire fill the silence. He was about to leave it at that and go back to bed when she did respond. “You talk in your sleep.”

“Oh?” He raised an eyebrow. “What do I say when I’m asleep? Do I talk about all the stupid things I did on my  _ many _ adventures?” He cracked a smile, expecting Ruby to laugh, but she didn’t. His smile dropped, and he reached out to put a hand comfortingly on her shoulder. Ruby, unfortunately, quickly pulled away. Qrow’s arm froze in midair, but he quickly pulled it back to himself, trying to seem as if it hadn’t bothered him. “Kid?”

“You say her name a lot.”

Well, that wasn’t very helpful. “I don’t…”

“Summer.” Ruby turned to face him now. “You say her name. A lot.”

Qrow’s eyes widened in shock. “What?” The question sounded more like a gasp than words, as if he was struggling to breathe. He could feel his chest constrict, and he swore for a second he  _ did _ stop breathing.

Ruby looked down at her hands as she fiddled with the edge of her skirt. “Sometimes you cry when you say her name. I know there’s something you’re not telling me.” She looked up at him, her face set in determination. “Just tell me. Please, Uncle Qrow.”

“It’s more complicated than that, kid.” He rubbed a hand over his face, suddenly feeling the exhaustion from the last few days of fighting Grimm themselves settle into his bones.

She jumped off the couch, pacing the room. “Dad doesn’t talk about her. Yang doesn’t talk about her. Uncle Qrow, I barely  _ remember _ her.” She threw her hands to point to him. “And here you are, saying her name, and I just want to know something,  _ anything _ , about my mom.” She stopped in front of the fire, leaning her head against the wall. “Just tell me who she was.”

Once again, the crackling of the fire filled the silence. Sirens from Mantle echoed in the air outside. 

“She was my friend.” Ruby jumped slightly at the sound of his voice. “My  _ first _ friend,” Qrow amended. He stretched his legs out in front of him and leaned his head back, over the top of the couch, watching the shadow of the fire flicker over the ceiling. “Raven and I, we had never seen a place so big. We were just two kids from a small tribe in the middle of nowhere. We were out of our depth.” He let out a shaky breath. “Summer found us wandering around campus trying to find where orientation was supposed to be. She led us, in more ways than one.”

Ruby sat down on the floor, leaning her back against the wall. “What was she like?”

Qrow smiled. “A chatterbox, just like you. She asked us all kinds of questions; who we were, where we came from, what kind of weapons we used. Everything.”

“Raven must have hated that.”

Qrow snorted. “You could say that.”

Ruby nodded, taking in what Qrow had said, before asking hesitantly, “So...she was your friend?”

The smile quickly faded from Qrow’s face as he nodded. “Friends.” He took a small breath. “Then it was teammates.”

“Is there where you tell me how team STRQ was formed?” Ruby asked, pulling her knees to her chest. Qrow could tell she was still tired, but he knew she wouldn’t sleep until he told her everything.

And that did mean  _ everything _ .

“Did Oz have you do that treasure hunt? The one with the artifacts?” Ruby nodded, and Qrow continued. “Well, we did that, too. And your mom, Summer, well...she was the first one I saw.” Qrow ran a hand through his hair. “Now, you have to know, Raven and I had been planning on teaming up with each other, so it was definitely a wrench in our plans. I got catapulted into the air and--this was before I could turn into a crow--I was trying to use my scythe to steer myself around.”

Ruby let out a small laugh, and Qrow couldn’t help but smile. “I did that, too. I tried to find Yang first, but it didn’t work out like that.”

“Rarely does, kid.” Qrow shrugged. “I found Summer, and Raven found Tai. Well, actually, more like Tai ran straight into Raven. Apparently, your old man was head over heels for my sister the second he saw her. She complained about him for weeks.” He chuckled at the memory, and Ruby did too. 

“That sounds like Dad, for sure,” she snickered.

“Yeah.” Qrow’s voice trailed off. “While those two were off doing who knows what, Summer and I made our way through the field. No Grimm could stop us. We just flew through that arena.” He saw Ruby watching him intently. “You know, your mom was an amazing huntress. One of the best, really.”

“Is that why Professor Ozpin asked her to do so much stuff?”

Qrow shrugged, feeling the tightness in chest return. “Probably.” This was not something he wanted to talk about tonight. He looked out the window again, watching the snow continue to fall. “I think that’s enough for tonight, kid. We can finish this story another day.”

He stood up, taking a step toward his bedroll by the window, and found Ruby blocking his way.  _ “ _ Please, Uncle Qrow.” She grabbed his arm. It was an iron grip that felt all too familiar, a grip he had only felt once before. “You’re the only one who will still talk about her.”

Qrow closed his eyes and pulled his arm out of her hands. “Kid.” He turned back to her, and he could feel Ruby’s pleading eyes pierce right through his heart. It was too much for him. But he knew--he  _ knew _ \--if he continued, she would hate him forever. “It’s late…” His voice broke as he said it, and a part of him knew that he would finish the story tonight.

Ruby simply continued to stare at him with those eyes,  _ Summer’s  _ eyes.  _ “Please.” _

He heard it in  _ her _ voice.

A sigh escaped his lips, and he said, “We were a team.” Qrow sat back down on the couch, Ruby taking up her previous seat against the wall. “But Tai and Raven, they were definitely together. They were more open about it toward the end of our time at Beacon, sure, but anyone with eyes knew they were together.” He closed his eyes, trying to steady the thumping in his chest. “Summer and I, we teased them endlessly, but more often than not, it was just the two of us. We were already close before that--being partnered in that artifact hunt always does that--and all that time...well it just made us closer. And so, one day…” His voice trailed off.

Ruby sat up on her knees, putting a hand on her uncle’s knee. “What happened?”

“We had an exam in some class, whatever it is that Oobleck teaches now. We were in our room studying, and Tai and Raven were off somewhere together.” His heart was pounding now, and he wasn’t exactly sure how Ruby couldn’t hear it. “Summer and I had a habit of just goofing off instead of studying. I mean, your mom, she was brilliant. She got top marks on everything even if she didn’t study, but we would just mess around. That’s who we were. Well, it was like any other day of us studying, except…” He looked into Ruby’s eyes to see if she knew what he was going to say, but she just seemed lost. Oh, how that hurt him more than ever. “One second, we were just joking and laughing at each other and the next...the next we were kissing.” His voice tapered to a whisper at the end.

Ruby quickly pulled away from him, as if she had been burnt. She opened her mouth, blinked, and closed it again, as if she didn’t fully know what to say. Qrow didn’t know what else he expected. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth again. “You dated my mom?”

“Yes.” Every part of him ached with what he was about to say. “And no.”

Ruby’s face scrunched in confusion as she continued to back away from him. “I don’t understand.”

He closed his eyes, running a hand over his face again, wishing he was anywhere else--even back in Ironwood’s stupid prison--so he wouldn’t have to say this. “What did Tai tell you about his and Raven’s wedding?”

Ruby shrugged, not fully understanding what importance the question held. “Not much? He always says he doesn’t like talking about it.” She wrapped her arms around herself and pulled her knees back up to her chest. “Just like everything else…” She shook herself and looked to Qrow. “Why?”

Every fiber of Qrow’s body was telling him to run, to make an excuse like he always did and walk away. Instead, he said, “Because it wasn’t just his wedding.” Qrow swallowed. “It was also mine and Summer’s.”

Ruby’s eyes widened as she shook her head. “What?”

Qrow continued. “Tai and Raven had Yang pretty quick, hanging up their hunter life and staying home. Summer and I...we decided to help Oz some more before we settled down. We traveled and hunted down Grimm in the hopes of stopping all this,” he gestures to the window, “from happening.”

Tears formed at the edge of Ruby’s eyes. “Stop,” she whispered.

He didn’t. “My semblance...well...you  _ know _ what it’s like. We would be fighting Grimm and the next thing I know, she’d be hurt, or the Grimm would come back, or something would break, or something would go wrong. Just like it always does.” Qrow clenched his hands into fists, not noticing his fingernails digging into his palms as he continued. “I wanted to leave. I  _ told _ her I had to, but she wouldn’t listen. She refused to listen. She would grab my arm and pull me back every single time I tried to walk away.” Tears burned at the corner of his own eyes, knowing what happened next. “And then...then she told me she was pregnant.”

Ruby didn’t say anything. She just watched, wide-eyed, confused, as Qrow hung his head in shame.

“We took a break from hunting. Oz, he understood.” He could feel himself choking on his words, but he still continued. “We stayed at Tai’s cabin, the one you grew up in. Raven had left by then, so it was just him and Yang. And then you showed up.” He lifted his head to look at Ruby, smiling sadly. “And I  _ panicked _ .”

Ruby’s expression didn’t change. Tears began to fall slowly down her cheeks, and Qrow wished he could do nothing more than hold her tight and wipe them away. But he knew he couldn’t. He still had to finish his story.

“I tried to stay, I really did, but,” he looked away again. His mouth dried, and his throat constricted as he tried to force the next words out. “You got sick.”

“No one told me.” Her words came out as the smallest whisper.

Qrow shook his head. “They wouldn’t have.” He took a steadying breath, or what he  _ hoped _ would be a steadying breath, and closed his eyes. “I held you in my arms that first day, and you stopped crying. Summer was overjoyed, but I...god, Ruby, you turned  _ blue _ . You weren’t breathing, and Tai had to  _ run _ to the next house to get a doctor just to get you back to us again. The next couple of days, it kept happening, and I knew.”

He could feel her gaze burn holes in him, but he couldn’t find it in him to look at her. “What did you do?”

“I got up before Summer did one day and wrote a note, trying to explain to her why I had to go.” Qrow felt the tears fall down his own cheeks, but did nothing to stop them. “I explained to Tai. He yelled at me, and I yelled back, and he tried to convince me to stay, but I made up my mind. If I left, you’d get better. And you did.” Qrow tried to smile at Ruby, but she continued to stare at him with those wide eyes. “I went back to helping Oz. I didn’t tell him what had happened, and he didn’t ask. I think some part of him knew, though. Summer wrote to me, sent me pictures of you. Tai did, too, but I never responded. I knew it was better if I didn’t.” He couldn’t stop the tears now, even if he tried. “And then, I got a call from Tai saying Summer had left and she was...she was  _ gone. _ ”

“And you still didn’t come back…” Ruby’s own voice broke. 

Qrow’s eyes softened. “I tried. I came by. I taught you.”

“It’s not the same!” Ruby shouted, jumping to her feet. She was breathing hard now, and Qrow couldn’t tell if it was because she was crying or because she was angry with him. “Being my  _ uncle _ is not the same…” Her voice broke once again. “Did you even care about me Uncle... _ dad _ ...I don’t even know what I should call you anymore!” Her voice echoed across the marble of the Schnee manor, and Qrow only hoped that they wouldn’t wake anyone up.

He quickly stood and walked to her, trying to comfort her, but once again, she pulled away. “Of course I cared, kid. I still  _ do _ care.” He let his hand fall down to his side. “You’re my daughter.”

Ruby’s sobs were inaudible at first. The only indication that she was crying was the gentle shaking of her shoulders. It soon became too much to her, and her whole body was wracked with sobs, as she fell to her knees, tears flooding down her face, Qrow just watched, not knowing what to do. He wanted to hold her, to hug her, to tell her it would be okay now, but he knew that it wouldn’t. That it wasn’t what she wanted, what she  _ needed _ . 

As quickly as it had started, it stopped. Ruby sat up on her knees, wiping her cheeks furiously as she looked at Qrow. “So you’re my dad.”

He nodded. “I’m your dad.”

She wiped her eyes again and took a breath, steadying her next words. “And you left me.”

Qrow’s heart shattered into pieces, but he nodded again. “And I left you.”


End file.
